Wood body round neck resonators?

Creed_Clicks · December 2021

I used to have a metal body Tanglwood round neck resonator and a Republic parlor size metal body over the years. Sold both on, but curious now to dip back into the resonator world, but this time with a wood body. (Could add a neck Lace pickup maybe later).
Cheap end of the scale, there seems to be a lot of choice, between Gretsch, Recording King, Cort, then a step up to Michael Messer and Republic, both of these brands look interesting.
Any recommendations?
I would probably not play as much slide as I would open tunings, picking, slightly dirty sound etc.
Would neck profiles on most of the lower end ones be the same?

paulnb57 · December 2021

Id go for a Messer….

Creed_Clicks · December 2021

paulnb57 said:

Id go for a Messer….

Yep the 14th fret model looks good

Tannin · December 2021

Creed_Clicks said:

Would neck profiles on most of the lower end ones be the same?

No. A while back when I was nearly buying a resonator (eventually the urge wore off and I went for something completely different) I played as many as possible, which was only about four. (It was at the height of the Covid epidemic and interstate travel was not possible, so only what was in stock in this state.)

The Regal had a very fat, baseball bat style neck. I don't usually care about or even notice neck profiles, only neck width, but I couldn't miss that big hunk. I don't remember any of the other necks, which only tells us that they were somewhere within a few miles of "normal". In terms of build quality, the Regal was disappointing (I used to own one many years ago, I suppose I wasn't as fussy in those days) with clunky tuners and a generally cheap Chinese feel to it, but much the same applies to the others I tried. The two Burbon Street instruments I played were a cut above the others: still cheap things made in China, but $1200-odd instead of $1100 (that would be about £750 by the time you paid VAT) and noticeably better made. (Burbon Street is a "fake local" brand like Tanglewood or Tasman: the name and allegedly the design is Australian but 100% of the manufacturing is carried out in China or some other cheap place.)

The trouble with resonators is that once you decide you want something better than Chinese quality, the next step is huge. Things like National Resophonics and Mules are insanely expensive - we are talking almost double the price of a first-class orthodox acoustic from (e.g.) Martin, Maton, Gibson, Furch, or close to six times the price of a Dobro or a Regal- and there is very little in between the two extremes. Messer is very likely your best bet.

Creed_Clicks · December 2021

@Tannin good advice ! yup there doesn’t seem to be much “in between” low and high price brackets !

TheBigDipper · December 2021

I've owned this Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe for a while.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/133744/ngd-nuthin-but-a-hound-dog#latest

As an entry level guitar it's been fine - but my desire to go further into the resonator world has diminished somewhat and been overtaken by other things grabbing my attention. I'm only posting it because no-one has mentioned them here yet. Nicely made with a big neck that suits me. It's a decent inexpensive fingerstyle guitar that I'll often pick up to transcribe stuff on or just have a casual play - being a laminate guitar with a lot of metal on the top I just leave it out when the nicer guitars would stay in the case. The pickup is awful.

Creed_Clicks · December 2021

@TheBigDipper whatever I would get, I would add an aftermarket pickup. I often wonder with the cheaper guitars if it's better getting something with a metal body as well.

Kristo · December 2021

Definitely get a Michael Messer with a Sixtus MM pickup. The best 'budget' resonators by miles, and set up to taste by a top luthier. Plus Michael is great to deal with.

TheBigDipper · December 2021

Creed_Clicks said:

@TheBigDipper whatever I would get, I would add an aftermarket pickup. I often wonder with the cheaper guitars if it's better getting something with a metal body as well.

Can't say. I tried some inexpensive metal-bodied ones as part of my initial research and didn't like them. I then tried a National TriCone and absolutely loved it - sounded sophisticated and nuanced - but too much dosh, obv.

KDS · December 2021

Messer without a doubt

DavidR · December 2021

Good move to go for wood body.

What is not said often enough about metal resonators is that they are very heavy. My Regal tricone which is a pretty good Chinese knock-off of a National Type 1 weighs 9lb. An actual Type 1 weighs 8lb 12oz.

For comparison the current Martin D28 weighs 4lb 9oz.

Metal resonators are also slippery and cold but................... quite a lot of fun!!

Creed_Clicks · December 2021

@DavidR I had a Tanglewood one before but only used it at home sitting down, so never really took much notice of the weight. It wasn't light though.

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Wood body round neck resonators?

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